China news websites shut for producing 'original' stories

China has banned some of its top Internet companies from reporting original news stories, amid concern from authorities over increasingly edgy original reporting,

The move is the latest step in what is being seen as a major crackdown by President Xi Jinping on media freedoms, and comes as media companies seek to cater to growing demand for up-to-the-minute and original news.

Journalists at China’s expanding privately-run online news portals are only permitted to attend entertainment and social events, and any reports relating to political or social issues have to use official media such as Xinhua news agency.

However, some Internet news portals have developed their own news gathering teams to chase social and political issues.

Websites run by Sina Corp, Sohu.com Inc, Netease Inc, Phoenix New Media Ltd's iFeng were fined and shut down as part of the crackdown.

The websites were "harshly criticised" for “violating laws and regulations” by China’s Internet regulator, a report in The Beijing News said, adding that they were ordered to “rectify” news which was “written and edited by themselves”.

China strictly controls its media and heavily censors the Internet against posts or articles considered sensitive to authorities.

The country’s web media were warned earlier this month about developing stories by using social media, as part of what the government calls a campaign against fake news and the spreading of rumours.

Examples of fake news in Chinese reports includes untrue accounts of how an arson attack was carried out which killed 30 people on a bus in Changsha.

Last February, President Xi Jinping visited China’s biggest state media organisations, where he said that media should focus on "positive reporting", and "speak the Party's will and protect the Party's authority and unity".